A man accused of crashing into a Toronto police cruiser on the evening of Jan. 7 is in custody, according to authorities. Toronto police arrested the man in Scarborough and have charged him with impaired driving. At the moment, he also faces a variety of minor traffic infractions as well. No court date has been publicly announced by police at this time.
According to the report, two Toronto police officers were in the midst of conducting a routine traffic stop on Morningside Avenue around 8:30 p.m. when another vehicle appeared over the crest of a hill. This vehicle then struck the rear of the squad car, pushing it into the vehicle they had previously stopped. Both officers sustained minor injuries in the crash and were taken to hospital for treatment. They were both later released.
The 51-year-old man who struck their vehicle has been charged with drunk driving, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and having a blood alcohol level of over 80 milligrams. Because the man is a novice driver, he faces a further indictment for driving with a blood alcohol level more than zero, as well as failure to avoid emergency vehicles. There is no word as to how police determined the man's alleged intoxication, as no roadside sobriety or blood test was mentioned in the report.
An impaired driving charge could change this Toronto man's life if he is convicted. He could lose his license entirely and even face jail time. This is why it is so important for proper evidence to be produced in court confirming the man's intoxication. If such evidence does not exist, or if it was obtained in a manner inconsistent with the man's rights, it might not be deemed admissible in criminal court.
Source: InsideToronto.com, "Alleged drunk driver injures Toronto police officers in Scarborough", Jan. 8, 2017